The PowerShot SD1100 IS Digital ELPH ($249) is the long-awaited follow-up
to Canon's PowerShot SD1000, which was one of the most popular ultra-compact
cameras of the last few years. The SD1100 has several significant improvements
over the SD1000, including:

An 8 Megapixel CCD (versus 7MP on the SD1000)

Optical image stabilization (the SD1000 had none)

More advanced face detection

Auto redeye removal

Motion Detection Technology boosts ISO based on subject movement

Improved battery life

Sleeker, more rounded design; comes in multiple colors

The biggest feature on that list is definitely image stabilization.
It's really the only thing the SD1000 was missing, and I think everyone's glad
to see this new feature.

Canon has quite a few cameras in their Digital ELPH series,
so I put together this chart to help you make sense of things:

Feature

PowerShot SD1100

PowerShot SD770

PowerShot SD790

PowerShot SD870

PowerShot SD890

PowerShot SD950

Street price
(at time of posting)

$237

$296

$333

$274

$382

$364

Resolution

8.0 MP

10.0 MP

10.0 MP

8.0 MP

10.0 MP

12.1 MP

Optical zoom

3X

3X

3X

3.8X

5X

3.7X

Lens max. aperture

F2.8 - F4.9

F2.8 - F4.9

F2.8 - F4.9

F2.8 - F5.8

F3.2 - F5.7

F2.8 - F5.8

Focal length (35 mm equiv.)

38 - 114 mm

35 - 105 mm

35 - 105 mm

28 - 105 mm

37 - 185 mm

36 - 133 mm

Image stabilization

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

LCD size

2.5"

2.5"

3.0"

3.0"

2.5"

2.5"

LCD resolution

230,000 pixels

230,000 pixels

230,000 pixels

230,000 pixels

230,000 pixels

230,000 pixels

Optical viewfinder

Yes

Yes

No

No

Yes

Yes

Flash range (Auto ISO)

0.3 - 3.5 m (W)
0.3 - 3.0 m (T)

0.3 - 3.5 m (W)
0.3 - 2.0 m (T)

0.3 - 3.5 m (W)
0.3 - 2.0 m (T)

0.3 - 4.0 m (W)
0.3 - 2.0 m (T)

0.3 - 3.5 m (W)
0.3 - 2.0 m (T)

0.5 - 4.6 m (W)
0.5 - 2.4 m (T)

Auto ISO Shift

No

No

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Battery used

NB-4L

NB-6L

NB-5L

NB-5L

NB-5L

NB-5L

Battery life (CIPA standard)

240

300

330

270 shots

320 shots

240 shots

Dimensions (W x H x D)

3.4 x 2.2 x 0.9 in

3.4 x 2.1 x 0.8 in

3.6 x 2.2 x 0.8 in

3.7 x 2.3 x 1.0 in

3.8 x 2.3 x 1.1 in

3.8 x 2.4 x 1.1 in

Weight

125 g

130 g

155 g

155 g

155 g

165 g

Available colors

Blue, pink, silver, brown,
gold

Silver, black

Silver

Silver, black

Silver

Silver

If you're still confused about the SD-series after that chart
then, well, I don't know what to tell you.

The PowerShot SD1000 was one of my favorite ultra-compact
cameras last year. Does the SD1100 perform just as well? Find out now in our
review!

The PowerShot SD1100 Digital ELPH is known as the Digital
IXUS 80 IS in some countries.

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What's in the Box?

The PowerShot SD1100 has an average bundle. Inside the
box, you'll find:

The 8.0 effective Megapixel PowerShot SD1100 IS digital
camera

32MB Secure Digital memory card

NB-4L lithium-ion battery

Battery charger

Wrist strap

USB cable

A/V cable

CD-ROM featuring Canon Digital Camera Solution

225 page camera manual (printed)

Canon is really the only camera manufacturer still bundling
a memory card with their cameras -- everyone else just builds a paltry amount
of memory into the camera itself. They include a 32MB Secure Digital card with
the PowerShot SD1100, which holds just eight photos at the highest image quality
setting. That means that you'll want to buy a larger memory card right away,
unless you already have one sitting around. The SD1100 supports SD, SDHC, MMC,
MMCplus, and HC MMCplus cards, though I'd stick with the first two, which are
less exotic. I'd recommend starting with a 1GB card, and while a high speed
model is a good idea, you don't need to go overboard.

The SD1100 uses the NB-4L rechargeable lithium-ion battery
for power. That's the same one that was used on the SD1000, but somehow Canon
managed to squeeze more juice out of this 2.8 Wh battery:

Camera

Battery life, LCD on
(CIPA standard)

Canon PowerShot SD1000

210 shots

Canon PowerShot SD1100 IS *

240 shots

Casio Exilim EX-Z80

210 shots

Fuji FinePix Z20fd

180 shots

GE G2

200 shots

Kodak EasyShare M893 IS *

225 shots

Nikon Coolpix S520 *

180 shots

Olympus FE-320

240 shots

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS3 *

320 shots

Pentax Optio M50

210 shots

Samsung NV4 **

210 shots

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W130 *

370 shots

* Has image stabilization
** Number not officially calculated with CIPA standard

Battery life numbers are provided by the camera manufacturers

First off, I have to say that making a list of comparable
cameras is a lot more difficult now than it used to be a few years ago. Each
manufacturer now has four-to-six compact cameras, where they used to have one
or two. That said, the SD1100's battery life is just about average for the
group. Sony and Panasonic continue to be leaders in this area.

I do want to mention the usual issues about the proprietary
batteries used by the SD1100 and every camera on the above list. They're expensive
(a spare will cost you at
least $34), and you can't use an off-the-shelf battery
in an emergency. However, that's all you'll find on cameras this small...
it sort of comes with the territory.

As with all ultra-compact cameras, the SD1100 has a built-in
lens cover, so there's no lens cap to deal with. Sorry about the reflections
-- those mirrored surfaces don't make for very nice product photos!

There are just a couple of accessories available for the PowerShot
SD1100, and I've compiled them into this chart:

A pretty standard list for an ultra-compact camera. Let's
move on to software, now.

CameraWindow in Mac OS X

Canon includes version 33 of their Digital Camera Solution Disk with the PowerShot SD1100. The first part of the Browser software that you'll probably encounter is Camera Window (pictured above), which is used to download photos from your camera.

ImageBrowser in Mac OS X

Once that's done you'll find yourself in either ImageBrowser or ZoomBrowser, which are for Mac and Windows, respectively. The Mac version is Universal, allowing it to run at full speed on Intel-based systems. The "Browser twins" let you view, organize, e-mail, and print your photos. If you categorized any photos on the camera (more on this later) then that information is transferred over to the Browser software.

ImageBrowser edit window in Mac OS X

Double-click on a thumbnail and you'll bring up the edit window. Editing functions include trimming, redeye removal, and the ability to adjust levels, color, brightness, sharpness, and the tone curve. There's also an auto adjustment option for those who want a quick fix.

PhotoStitch in Mac OS X

A separate program called PhotoStitch can combine photos you've taken side-by-side into a single panorama. The Stitch Assist feature on the SD1100 can help you line up the photos so they come together well.

Canon retooled their documentation this year, combining the
basic and advanced manuals into one. The 200+ page User Guide is quite detailed,
and it will answer any question you may have about the camera or its accessories.
It's not the easiest read, though it's still better than most camera manuals
these days.

Look and Feel

Canon was shooting for retro with last year's PowerShot SD1000
-- it looked just like the original film-based ELPH. The SD1100 has returned
to the rounder design of previous Digital ELPHs. The camera is super compact,
and its metal body is both stylish and durable. The one exception is the usual
one: the flimsy plastic door over the memory card/battery compartment.

The SD1100 is easy to hold and operate with one hand. It doesn't
have too many buttons, though I'm not a fan of how they're flush against the
body.

Images courtesy of Canon USA

While the SD1000 came in two "trims" (black and
silver), Canon has gone all out with colors on the SD1100. It's available in
gold, blue, pink, brown, and silver.

Now, here's a look at how the PowerShot SD1100 compares to other
cameras in its class in terms of size and weight: